Trouble Sleeping
by AiriFox
Summary: Toshiro Hitsugaya can't get to sleep no matter how hard he tries... What will happen when his childhood friend suffers from the same problem? Pairing: HitsugayaXHinamori.  So much fluff, you could probably drown yourself in it if you tried


**Author's Note:** Well, first uploaded story… Originally, I wasn't at all fond of this pairing but it sort of, well, grew on me. So, I decided to write this one day when I was ridiculously bored in my AP English class. And yes, I know they don't have lamps in the spirit world, so work with me, please? I should mention I don't own Bleach or the snippet of the song at the beginning, "Trouble Sleeping". So don't sue me, OK? I should also note I use the English versions of things for the most park, i.e. 'Snowy' instead of 'Shiro-chan', 'captain' instead of 'taicho' as well as first names first. The only exceptions are words that have no clear translation in English and 'shinigami', just 'cuz I like the way it sounds. :P That being said, please enjoy my first story to be published on Fanfiction dot net...Without further ado, I present "Trouble Sleeping!

---

"_I'm having trouble sleeping…  
I'm thinking of what you said…"_  
-The Perishers

---

The soft rustle of linen and an irritated exhalation – the only whispers of sound shattering the silence of night as Toshiro Hitsugaya turned over in bed. Too long he lay awake, oddly disturbed and unable to reach the sweet sanctuary of sleep. Ever since becoming a shinigami, he was routinely plagued with these sleepless nights – nights where he tossed and turned but simply could not drift into peaceful slumber. The first of these nights had been when he first slept at the Shinigami Academy. His body and mind ached beyond belief as he threw himself into the downy Academy bed, but he quickly felt cold and hollow…Alone. In Rukongai, he'd always slept with Momo Hinamori as his best friend. He'd drifted to sleep feeling her warmth at his back, her hand knotted in his snowy locks or the tranquilizing rhythm of her breath. But that lonely Academy night, there was no warmth, no companionship and only the cold comfort of silence to lull him into an uneasy sleep.

Again, Toshiro flipped over, tangling in the covers and trying to curl into a more comfortable position, but to no avail.

"All I want is sleep…" he growled to himself, voice rough with a mix of irritation and fatigue. Sleep was one of the most basic human needs – how could he be denied it? Suddenly, a soft, rapt knocking drew his attention to his doorway. A high-pitched creak and the door barely opened, just enough to reveal the silhouette of a slender girl.

"Snowy?" her voice was heavy, leaden with tiredness. Toshiro quickly sat up, hand fumbling to flick the switch to the lamp on his night stand. Slightly numb fingers finally found it and warm, golden light poured into the room, illuminating the visitor. Russet hair, slightly tangled and disheveled, fell about her shoulders and a white yukata was wrapped around her diminutive frame. Wide, chocolate-brown eyes were now half-narrowed, dragged down by raw fatigue.

"Momo?" he asked, blinking teal eyes as if to be sure he wasn't dreaming. "Uh, wha-what are you doing? Like, here, I mean…" Her eyes flickered briefly to the floor, then back to Toshiro.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, "I just got to thinking about when we used to sleep together and then Aizen was there and-" It almost sounded as if she was trying to choke back a sob, "I miss you, Snowy…" Toshiro, even in this lethargic state, understood. Before Aizen's treachery, he heard how Momo talked of her former captain. He'd offered her night of pleasure – passion – but never the embrace shared by friends… Never tenderness…Slowly, each movement dream-like and deliberate, she approached his bed and sat at the foot of it, facing away from him. "I just want sleep. Please, Snowy, give me at least that much." She turned to face him, a weak flicker of a smile upon her lips. Until now, Toshiro hadn't noticed the dark bags drawn under her eyes.

"Sure... Just, uh, y'know, don't wet the bed this time." Seeing his stab at humor wasn't well-recieved, he sighed and offered a gentler response. He reached out for her hand - a gesture of friendship, though deep down he wished it meant so much more. "Of course...We both need sleep… If we didn't, I doubt we'd be acting as acting as weird as we are now." The trace smile vanished from Momo's lips.

"I suppose you're right…", she sighed, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She crawled from the foot of the bed to left side and sheathed herself under the sky-blue chenille covers and crisp white sheets while savoring the scent of familiar comfort they held – the scent of Toshiro. The white-haired boy then switched off the light and the room was plunged into milky darkness, leaving only enough light to see the outline of one another. It was Toshiro's turn to slip under the covers, lying on his side at a slight curve to face Momo. Guided by the promise of warmth and comfort, Momo shifted closer to him, tucking herself into the curve of his body. Her hands were pressed softly against his chest while one of his stroked her deep brown mane and the other was tucked under the pillow his head rested on. It was all too reminiscent of the days in Rukongai – days spent lazing under the sun and eating watermelon. Days when life seemed so much…Simpler…

"G'night, Momo…", yawned Toshiro. He could feel sleep nipping at his eyelids, and only prayed it would last.

"'Night, Toshiro…", she muttered in response.

"What, no 'Snowy'? He asked, amused and intrigued at the lack of Momo's endearing (though sometimes irritating) pet name.

"I was under the impression you didn't like 'Snowy'…"

"No! No…It's just…It's, I guess, embarrassing sometimes in public. I mean, a captain and 'Snowy' just seems…Wrong." At this, Momo's eyes widened in concern despite her tiredness. There was a minute of heavy silence until…

"Toshiro.. I know this sounds weird, but are you…Ashamed of our friendship? I mean, I feel so weak beside you and…"

_If only you knew! _Toshiro wanted to cry, to scream into the ink-dark sky _Momo, I __love __you!_ However, the young captain couldn't muster up the courage to declare his affection and instead sighed.

"That's not it…And please, I beg you, Momo, don't ever think that. But…Oh, I'm sorry…" Silence hung suspended in the darkness, until Momo's voice, no louder than a whisper, fluttered through the night.

"No, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For being so blind – to you and to myself."

"What do you me-" Toshiro was promptly silenced by a pair of petal-soft lips pressed against his own. It took him a moment to recover from the shock, but his senses quickly adapted. The hand that previously twined in her locks slipped down to her neck, reveling in the softness and warmth of her skin. Suddenly, the reasonable part of his brain tore back dominance as he pulled away, trembling in the slightest. Confusion and disheartenment battled in the vice-captain's gaze.

"Listen, Momo.." Toshiro began in a shaky voice, "You're just a bit tired right now and – and that's it…" Momo's expression softened.

"That's what I thought at first, too, but… The more I see you, the more I think of you as more than just my friend and even now, it's hard for me to lay here beside you and think of things in a completely innocent light." Silence. And then the air buzzed, crackled with tension. Suddenly, a spark and both surrendered, falling into a deep kiss. Their mouths burned with sweet fire as two tongues battled for dominance. Momo's hands ghosted up his back, finally settling just below the blades of his shoulders. With a small moan of approval, Toshiro's hand shifted as well. His right hand slid down to the small of her back while the left gripped where her shoulder met her neck, fitting perfectly in the elegant curve. They pressed closer, starving for proximity, for closeness…For each other.

Suddenly, they broke away. Still slightly dazed from the raw passion that engulfed them, Momo smiled.

"I doubt we'll get any sleep at this rate." She murmured in a slightly dazed and dreamy tone as warm eyes sparkled.

"Yeah," Toshiro agreed. Her sweet taste, reminiscent of peaches, still lingered in his mouth, teasing him. "I guess we should try to, um, sleep" he finished flatly. A certain awkwardness hung in the air, a smothering blanket of embarrassed tension. It was soon shattered as Momo's fingered slid over his cheek – such a slight touch blazed trails of fire over his flesh.

"Thank you, Snowy." That said, she burrowed back under the covers and wrapped herself in the soft linens. Flashing a brief - very brief - contented smile, Toshiro followed suit and soon they lay nestled, feeding off one another's warmth and ecstasy. And it wasn't too long until sleep descended over the pair like a gossamer veil. And, for the first time since Rukongai, Toshiro dreamed. He dreamed of the clean, fresh scent that lingered in her hair. He dreamed of the liquid fire that seemed to flow through his veins when their lips met. And he dreamed of them curled together, two halves of the same whole, as the stars shone watery light upon them.

---

Review and help out the poor little writer? I love suggestions and critisism! Aaaaaand if I get enough positive responses to this, there MAY be some more Hitsumori goodness in the future!

---

Thanx for reading!


End file.
